[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1620 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1620

   To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain land to 
          Federal Energy Regulatory Commission permit holders.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 22, 1999

  Mr. Gorton introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain land to 
          Federal Energy Regulatory Commission permit holders.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. CONVEYANCE.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any provision in the record of 
decision adopting the Northwest Forest Plan dated April 13, 1994 (59 
Fed. Reg. 18788), the Secretary of Agriculture shall convey to the 
permit holders described in subsection (b), at fair market value and by 
quitclaim deed, the parcels of land (including roads) necessary for 
development of the small hydroelectric power project sites, located in 
whole or in part within the Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest, 
Washington, described as follows:
            (1) Anderson Creek, comprising approximately 26.3 acres, 
        Sections 21, 28, 29, and 32, T37N, R9E Willamette meridian.
            (2) Irene Creek, comprising approximately 10.3 acres, T35N, 
        R12E, Sections 18 and 19, Willamette meridian.
            (3) Martin Creek, comprising approximately 14.13 acres, 
        T26N, RI2E, Sections 12, 13, 24, and 25, and R13E, Section 8, 
        Willamette meridian.
            (4) Big/Grade Creeks, comprising approximately 19.96 acres, 
        T33N, R11E, Sections 7, 8, 9, 17, and 18, Willamette meridian.
            (5) Cumberland Creek, comprising approximately 8.46 acres, 
        T35N, R6E, Sections 23, 24, and 25, Willamette meridian.
            (6) O'Toole Creek, comprising approximately 10.0 acres, 
        T35N, R7E, Sections 28, 29, and 33, Willamette meridian.
    (b) Permit Holders.--The permit holders described in this 
subsection are the persons holding preliminary permits issued by, or 
having filed license applications with, the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission covering the parcels described in subsection (a) during the 
period beginning on January 1, 1990, and ending on December 31, 1996.
    (c) Timing.--A conveyance under subsection (a) shall be made as 
soon as practicable after receipt of a written request made by a permit 
holder that--
            (1) describes the Federal land or other real property 
        interest needed for project development; and
            (2) sets forth a fair market price, which shall not include 
        the value of timber on the land.
    (d) Additional Land.--The Secretary of Agriculture--
            (1) shall convey any additional land or property interests 
        that may be required under a license issued by the Federal 
        Energy Regulatory Commission for a project described in 
        subsection (b); but
            (2) may retain in any quitclaim deed an easement for public 
        access to Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest land.
    (e) Consideration.--On removal and sale of timber required for 
project development under a license issued by the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission for a parcel, the licensee shall pay the net 
proceeds, if any, of the sale to the Secretary of Agriculture.
    (f) Use of Proceeds.--Proceeds received by the Secretary of 
Agriculture under subsection (e) shall--
            (1) be deposited in a separate account in the Treasury of 
        the United States; and
            (2) remain available to the Secretary of Agriculture, 
        without further Act of appropriation, for use in watershed and 
        species management activities to ensure proper implementation 
        of the Northwest Forest Plan in the Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie 
        National Forest.
                                 <all>